Thursday, June 7, 2007

My Feet

Our hospital just instilled a policy that Crocs are off limits because the holes are an infection control issue.

I have had every body fluid on earth hit my shoes. They have never, not once, made it to my feet. I wear white socks. I would know. Even betadine and charcoal. If those substances don't make it through, the barrier is impermeable, as far as I'm concerned.

And how are mesh tennis shoes, that absorb and redistribute said body fluids, any safer?

Anyway, being the good Monkey that I am, I went out and bought some new shoes. They were made of the same stuff, just no holes. They were Dickies, for crying out loud! I figured I'd be OK.

I can't feel my big toe on my right foot.

Apparently the new shoes are compressing a nerve somewhere, or something. (I'm just guessing. It could be an arch thing. Dammit, Jim, I'm a Monkey, not a podiatrist!)

I'm going back to the Crocs. Addendum to said policy states that we can wear OR booties over them.

10 comments:

Radioactive Tori said...

Don't they make crocs that are closed too? Check the website! What color crocs do you wear?

Jessica said...

I'm pretty sure they make ones w/ no holes too....

girlvet said...

How are crocs an infection control issue? I don't make a habit of putting my shoes near the patient except maybe to kick their butt...Is it an infection control issue for the nurse? Please explain.......

Alexis said...

They do, in fact, make hole-less crocs, the "endeavor" model. Perhaps these crocs are "endeavoring" to put up with ridiculous bureacratic policies.

I wonder if the Mythbusters would examine how likely it is to catch any infectious disease through a hole, through a sock, at some distance to the source of infection (what's the trajectory an un-capped contaminated needle needs in order to get through a croc-hole and sock and into your foot?).

Joeymom said...

When my grandfather was in in the hospital, all the nurses wore Dansko clogs- to the point I bought a pair from the dealer who set up shop in the hospital lobby every few weeks (nurses got a discount). They've been great for lecturing and running after kids. I even had a pair of sandals made by Dansko that I wore all over India, they're fabulous. I haven't tried the crocs yet.

RealisticRN said...

MonkeyGirl,
I'm with you girl! I will find a job at the local McDonalds before I go back to wearing anything else. I have tried, for one shift, to wear "sneakers" and my feet and legs felt like I had worked for 2 weeks straight. Not to mention the odor nearly knocked over my dogs!
I say to OSHA, if anyone can drop a needle or contract something horrible through those holes in crocs, then that one person should get a huge, whopping prize! They should be the center of one of their multi million dollar studies! In fact, I will endeavor to drop needles, get in the way of vomit/blood/urine all in the name of research!...

MonkeyGirl said...

Yay! I found the hole-free Crocs! I had no clue they had so many..... Last time I checked there were a thousand different ones, but they all had holes. Thank you, ladies!

girlvet: I have no clue how the are infection control issues. I've never had a problem, nor has ANYONE I know.

RealisticRN: Keep your fungal toes away from me... ;-)

ERnursey said...

I recently read a very interesting statement, there really isn't a nursing shortage, just too many nurses doing non-nursing jobs. The idiots that make up rules for the people who work should immediately be forced to work back to back double shifts for two weeks straight!

RealisticRN said...

Funny you should say that...the housekeeping staff (days, anyway) are saying that it is,"not my job" to make beds and empty trash cans. (WHAT the CRAP is THEIR JOB?) Guess to whom it falls...RNs LPNs,techs!) No, I am not kidding. Fortunately, for us that work on nights (at this particular institution,) we have a fabulous crew (RNs, LPNs, techs AND housekeeping!) who keep things moving along...
ernursey, forget about these DA (dumbasses) working double shifts--if only they worked 1/2 a shift they might be brought into reality! Of course, they might end up signing into to ER for end stage muscle and brain failure for their efforts...I'm just saying...

danielle said...

Thank you!
I love my crocs! They are so comfortable!
And holeless ones jsut sound soooo hot.
I have tried those other Dansko and the type clogs - and they are so heavy...too heavy.
But I did go out and find a cute EasySpirit. It has some holes too....but I have found that on the weekdays I jsut wear my white socks under the white shoes and the powers-that-be have yet to notice the holes!!! (Not as many as with the Crocs). And they are 'slingbacks' too which makes for easy on and off (I have gotten lazy in my old age and dont like tie shoes any more)